Improvement in glove-paddles for swimmers



E. G. KINSLEY.

GLOVE-PADDLES FOR SWIMMERS.

Patented 9:20.14, 1875.

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,to the paddle.

Unrrnn STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

EDWARD G. KIN SLEY, OF STOUGHTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF ANDLUTHER BELOHER, JR., OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN GLOVE-PADDLES FOR SWIMMERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 170,957, dated December14, 1875; application filed June 15, 1875.

series of flexile finger-pockets, a b c d e, ar-

ranged at and near its larger end, and to diverge from one another, sothat there may be intervals or webs, f f f f, of the cloth between them,analogous to the webs of the foot of a duck or other aquatic bird.Furthermore, the said paddle is furnished with a series of two or 'morestraps, B O D, arranged and fixed to it as shown, each of said strapshaving a buckle, g, at one end. The said pockets are to receive thefingers of a persons hand, and the straps are for confining the paddleto his arm. To the upper surface of the paddle there is fixed twofolding metallic braces or spiders, E, they being arranged in it inmanner as shown. Each of these spiders consists of a plate or body, h,of metal, and two bent wires or bows, 'i, hinged or jointed to it, eachat its ends, having an eye, It, to enable it to be fastened to the edgeof the flexile arm-paddle. The body part h is fastened at its middle tothe paddle by a rivet, l, and a metallic washer, m, which serve also tofasten one of the straps An edge view of one of the spiders is shown inFig. 3, and a bottom view of it in Fig. 4. When the bows are turned outthey bring up against the body of the spider, and with it serve to braceand support the arm portion of the paddle while it may be impelling aperson through the water. While the paddle may be in the act of beingmoved forward by the arm of the swimmer the bows will give way and allowthe arm portion of the paddle to bend back on the arm, so as to lessenthe resistance of the movement of the paddle in the water to what itwould he were the bows rigidly fixed to the bodies of the spiders. Atthe junction of the two spiders I usually extend a cord or band, it,across the wider surface of the fiexile paddle, from edge to edgethereof, such, when the paddle may be in use, extending partially aroundthe arm of the user. The cord or band 1:. also answersto hold the armportion of the paddle against the arm of the swimmer preparatory to andwhile the straps may be in the act of being fastened thereon. Thespiders admit of the whole article being folded together in a smallcompass.

The mode of using the glove or gauntlet paddle in swimming will readilybe understood by a swimmer. Being of a flexile material it will notprevent him from using his hand to grasp any object.

I claim as my invention as follows, viz:

1. A flexile glove-paddle, A, provided with the finger-pockets a b c de, and one or more spiders, E, substantially as described, arranged asspecified.

2. A flexile paddle provided with fingerpockets 0, b c d c,confining-straps B O I), arm-band n, and one or more spiders, E, allbeing as and arranged substantially as specified.

EDWARD Gr. KIN SLEY. Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, J. R. Snow.

